A real girl's guide to LA fitness

Tag: new year’s resolution

After years and years of being basically sedentary and unaware of healthy eating, I totally changed my ways because of a New Year’s resolution. While resolutions get a bad rap, I’m living proof that they can actually can work. Four years ago, I started the year with a simple idea. I wanted to move my body. I wanted to want to work out and eat healthy.

I was living in Memphis at the time (not exactly the epicenter of health + wellness, more like fried chicken + bbq), and working as a third grade teacher. After long days of teaching, I would come home utterly exhausted and not at all in the mood to cook or exercise. Over New Year’s Day brunch with a particularly motivated friend, she let me in on her little secret…that there really is NO secret…you just have to DO IT.

I know it sounds simple, and silly, maybe, but realizing that getting it done isn’t always as easy as it looks was life-changing for me. Instead of searching for motivation to go to the gym, I simply started just going to the gym. The rumor was true, after about three weeks I was hooked and literally haven’t looked back since.

I was thrilled when Kohl’s invited me to a day full of Tone It Up workouts in celebration of a healthy January + the launch of TIU’s new app–Studio Tone It Up. I previously attended one of the TIU retreats and LOVED the community, the workouts, and (of course) Karena and Katrina. Those girls have a way of encouraging everyone to try and do their best–and I love that.

#KohlsxStudioToneItUp was full of the TIU fit fam + delicious Perfect Fit protein smoothies + manis + massages + booch + lots of sweat + gorgeous athleisure. It was the absolute perfect way to start the day and to keep the energy strong as we head into week three of 2018.

About 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February but Kohl’s and I don’t want you to be one of them!! Here are my top four ways to stay motivated ALL YEAR!

Four Ways to Stay Motivated in 2018

Work out with friends or join a community. Something that is so great about TIU is the sense of community and therefore accountability. They encourage you to post your meals, #tiubootycall, and daily workouts on social media. It’s fun to brag about getting stuff done, and these gals definitely see the benefits of getting fit and healthy together. Personally, since leaving ClassPass I’ve seen the benefit of having a gym that I LOVE going to. It’s super encouraging when the people at the front desk at Equinox greet me by name. I’ve become a regular in the Thursday barre class and weekend spin classes. We don’t have to do this alone when there are so many people cheering for us!

Treat yourself to some cute athleisure. There’s nothing that makes me want to get to the gym more than having a cute new outfit to flaunt. I got so many compliments on my New Balance sneaks and adorable jacket–all reasonably priced from Kohl’s! You can take advantage of their functional + affordable activewear here. Pro tip: there are pretty much always additional discounts too! See below for Karena and Katrina’s fav picks.

Make a plan. Instead of taking it one day at a time, spend an hour or so on Sundays planning out your weekly workouts. Sundays are also the perfect time to grocery shop and meal prep. If you’re like me and don’t love a Sunday full of cooking, stock your fridge with some meals in mind. That way, when you get home from work and the gym, you aren’t caught empty handed and starving reaching for all the snacks!

Keep it FUN. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, there is NO REASON to dread your workouts. Find things that you love doing so you actually look forward to sweating. I love spin, barre, and pilates so I try to keep my weekly workouts heavy on those three. When I want to run on the treadmill, I try to find a good podcast (always taking recommendations) so I can feel productive and happy while I run. You’re way more likely to keep up the routine if you truly love it!